Stroud Is Heading Back To Honolulu

NFL - Jaguars - The Beat

The Jaguars received two honors Wednesday: DT Marcus Stroud was elected to the Pro Bowl and RB Fred Taylor was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Stroud repeated as a Pro Bowl choice and two other Jaguars were first alternates: WR Jimmy Smith and S Deon Grant.

Taylor was honored for his 165-yard day Sunday in a 28-25 victory against Green Bay.

`FRAGILE FRED?'

Taylor got a behind-his-back nickname of "Fragile Fred" for injuries early in his career but expects to make his 47th consecutive start Sunday.

"I'll be there," he said.

Coach Jack Del Rio is an admirer. "I went to USC with Marcus Allen and I saw what he went through every Saturday, and how he would drag himself out of bed on Monday and practice hard," said the coach. "That's what I see in Fred."

INJURIES

Taylor and Stroud stayed on the injury list because of sore knees and didn't practice Wednesday when the team had what Del Rio called an "excellent, spirited practice" in preparation for Sunday's home game against the Texans.

Both are expected to play, as is S Deke Cooper, who has a pulled groin muscle. It's getting doubtful that CB Juran Bolden will make it because of a strained quadriceps muscle.

TEXANS ON SLIDE

Houston has lost five of seven after a 4-3 start, but Texans Coach Dom Capers says there's a good reason:

"What happened to us is we played a bunch of very good teams in a row and we didn't play our best. Every one of the teams we've lost to since we played the Jaguars have had eight wins or more."

The skid started after the Texans beat the Jaguars 20-6.

LSU CALLING?

There's a rumor that LSU might be interested in Del Rio for its head-coaching position if Nick Saban goes to the Miami Dolphins.

Del Rio said he had no knowledge of contact between LSU and his agent but stopped short of saying he wasn't interested. "I don't care to get into speculation," he said.

Del Rio has never coached in college but he was a player and a coach for the New Orleans Saints. His wife, Linda, is from Louisiana.

KEEPIN' SCORE

The Jags are the only team with a winning record to be outscored this year. They're close, though, at 220-228.